[SOLVED] How Common ARe Non T568A orB Ethernet Cables

[kenwood850]

I recently installed a long run of exterior Ethernet cable between buildings. After hooking it up there was no connectivity. To make a long story short, I found the new cable worked between two switches but it did not work with a surge protector installed in the line. Further investigation found it was not the surge protector that was at fault but the way the cable was terminated. The cable came with RJ45 connectors installed at each end and when I examined them closely, they appeared to be wired as a series of 4 pairs and not in the T568B configuration. When I cut off the connectors and put my own RJ45 ends on in the T568B configuration, connectivity was restored with the surge protector in the line.

How common are Ethernet cables that are wired as a series of 4 pairs and what would they normally be used for?

It never occurred to me when purchasing cable with RJ45 connectors already installed that the wiring would be in anything but a T568A or B configuration. I guess in the future I should be asking.

 

[bill001g]

It is/was very common for cables used for telephone especially digital pbx systems. There are many other cable that use rj45 but use a very different wire pattern. Cisco console cables tend to be the one I had most often.

 

[SamirD]

As generic as cables are and generally as long as the right lines go to the right places, it didn't matter what schema was used. But in your case, the termination mattered. I'll keep this in mind if I ever run across a problem through a surge protector.